Just Like Your Father
by Cloperella
Summary: After ten years of being on his own, Nick Wilde pays his mother a visit following his heroics in saving Zootopia. His mother makes the mistake of letting onto the fact that her affection for him runs deeper than a mother should feel for her son. Nick will have to reflect on the history they share, and decide for himself on how to handle this change in his life.
1. How The Years Change Us

Cover Image used with permission from zootermission (from tumblr)

* * *

Along the center of Padfoot Street, a group of young coyotes ran down the sidewalk in a hurry, each carrying a large stick in their paws. The one in front looked behind him, keeping track of his pursuants, just in time to see one of them dart ahead and rear his stick back. He managed an overhead block just in time and retaliated with a side swipe of his own. While the two battled one another, the others ran up and swung their sticks at him as well. Their target jumped to the side, rolling along the sidewalk and bracing himself on his knees. The pup looked back at his friends with a boastful grin before running away as they resumed their chase.

The East side of Savanna Central wasn't the most upscale part of Zootopia by any means. Age had taken its toll on the rows of houses squished side by side together, rust and chipped paint all along their surface. Despite its worn appearance, and slander from the citizens of the more upscale districts, the residents felt quite at home in this neighborhood. Many of the houses had been home to a few generations of families of the same name. An economical, yet cozy area. A quaint little place to live.

From the window of her own home, an older vixen with red and cream fur watched the group of pups run by, a cellphone pressed to her ear. She wore a blue yarn blouse, her eyelids covered with a layer of eyeshadow, and some mascara applied to her dainty eyelashes. A cellphone to her ear, she listened to the woman chatting on the other side.

"Can you believe it, Olivia?" the voice from the phone said to her, "The news is calling your son a hero! Again!"

"I know, Clarice, I'm shocked," Olivia replied with a smile, "I've just been so excited, I don't know what to do with myself."

"I mean, I was at the office making some copies for my boss, just hearing the news playing from across the way. I thought they were just talking about the first story again, when he and that rabbit cop found all those kidnapped predators. Then they mentioned a cover up, so I ran over there and saw that they'd gotten the mayor's assistant arrested. Completely forgot about those copies!"

"I remember when I heard about the first time he was in the news. I was at the bookstore, just trying to find some romance novel to keep myself occupied. Then I got a call from Janett telling me my son was on TV. When I saw it for myself, I almost fainted."

"The whole thing just sounds so crazy. Zootopia's first rabbit cop, teamed up with a fox and saving all the predators of the city."

"I never thought I'd see the day a rabbit joined the police," Olivia commented, turning away from the window and toward the LCD TV tuned to the news, "Things sure have changed over the years."

"I know what you mean. Why, just the other day I — "

"Clarice, they're playing another story about him," Olivia cut off her friend as she watched the television, "Can I call you back?"

"Oh, sure! Talk to you later, bye!"

Olivia hung up her phone in a hurry, and grabbed the remote control for the TV. Turning up the volume, she sat down in her sofa, eager to hear more information about her son.

" _\- ZPD Officer Judy Hopps and resident Nick Wilde will receive awards for their heroic efforts this Friday."_ Fabienne Clawley , the ZNN's snow leopard anchor reported.

The shot of her dissolved, replaced with footage that had graced every news station since yesterday: Clad in a flannel shirt and jeans with a crutch supporting her casted leg, the rabbit officer Judy Hopps. Right next to her was Olivia's son in his oversized green shirt and indigo tie: Nick Wilde, a large smile on his face and his paws in the air making two V-symbols with his digits.

" _Both Hopps and Wilde uncovered a city-wide conspiracy to disgrace predator citizens of Zootopia,"_ Fabienne narrated as the footage played, " _Initially credited for uncovering Mayor Lionheart's kidnapping of predators gone savage, further investigation from the two revealed a deeper plot behind their abduction. Former mayor Dawn Bellwether, as well as her accomplices, were the real culprits behind predators' savage behavior. City hall council had this to say, in a press conference held earlier this afternoon…"_

Olivia Wilde held her paws up to her cheeks in admiration, tuning out the rest of the report. Her son had saved Zootopia! She was so proud of him. Olivia had tried to call him every day since his name had first appeared in the news. He'd never picked up though. She assumed the press kept him busy, stopping him everywhere he went to ask more questions about his heroics. Olivia was okay with that though; seeing him on the news meant he was doing alright. That was enough for her.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to try again. Picking up her cellphone, Olivia opened up her list of contacts, scrolling down the list of names. She found Nick's slot, but just before she could press the button, the screen changed with an incoming call. She gasped as she looked at the screen, seeing Nick's face as the ringtone chirped. Nick never called her; she always called him. Before he became a hero, Olivia strived to respect his space, only calling him once every other week just to check up on him. He never had much to say; just that he was in good health and making money. She wished he would talk to her more, but she knew better than to force it out of him.

It took her a few seconds to react, but Olivia found the strength to press the green Answer button. She lifted the phone to her ear, hearing a small amount of static on the other side of the call.

"Hello?" Olivia asked, her breath stuck in her throat.

"... H-hi, Mom." Nick's voice resonated from the speaker.

"Hi sweetheart," Olivia answered back, pushing to keep her voice from cracking, "How are you?"

"I'm, uh — well, I don't suppose you've seen the news recently?"

"I sure have," she replied, her eyes glancing away from the TV as the news switched to an unrelated story, "All of my gal pals have been calling me and telling me my son is on TV. You've become quite the celebrity amongst us old crows."

"Hey, come on Mom; fifty isn't that old."

"Well hopefully you'll still think so when you get that old yourself," Olivia responded, drawing an amused chuckle from her son, "Nick, honey, I'm so proud of you. Do you want to tell me all about what happened?"

"Yeah, I would, but… I kind of wanted to swing by tomorrow and tell you about it in person."

Olivia's eyes lit up at the suggestion. Nick hadn't stepped foot in her home in twelve years.

"Sure!" Olivia replied with joy, "I would love to have you over. I haven't seen you in ages. Why don't you come by for lunch, around noon?"

"Yeah. Okay, sounds good. I'll be there."

"Nick, are you sure you're doing okay, besides from what I've seen on TV?"

"I'm fine, Mom, really," Nick reassured her, "It's just the last few weeks have been kind of exhausting for me and Judy."

"Oh, Judy's the police officer you were working with, the rabbit, right?"

"Yeah, that's Judy. She's — well I'll tell you all about it tomorrow, okay?"

"Right, okay." Olivia stopped herself from pressing further, knowing that she would get her fill of him tomorrow. "Text me if you want me to make you anything specific for lunch."

"Anything's fine. I gotta get going, see you tomorrow."

"I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too, Mom."

Olivia heard the click of the receiver on the other end, and the call ended. Her dear son was paying her a visit tomorrow. At last, she'd get to see him again after twelve long years. Sitting up from her chair, Olivia strode over to the farthest wall of the living room. She approached a mantle just above her eyes, looking over the collection of framed photos on display. To the farthest left stood a picture of herself wearing a long blue dress that did a poor job hiding the large round bump of her belly. Crouched down in front of her, a male fox dressed in a formal brown suit, his arms wrapped around her and his right ear against her large stomach.

 _Hey, I can hear him kicking, Olive!_ she could still hear his voice saying. _We've got a fighter here. He just can't wait to get out and see the world!_

James T. Wilde, a fox with something to prove, in a world with the odds stacked against him. Despite a reputation of shiftiness and deceit among foxes, James had big dreams of trying to make it big in Zootopia. On her way to work at age nineteen, Olivia happened to see a pair of large prey animals throwing the male fox out of a loan office. Notes and documents flew from his briefcase, yet another business idea of his rejected. He'd dusted the dirt off his brown suit without any dismay, picking up every paper from his suitcase.

One of his documents however had blown away without his knowledge, landing right at Olivia's feet. Running up and returning it to him, his paw accidentally brushed over hers as he reached for the piece of paper. As he gazed upon the lovely vixen before him, Olivia felt his brilliant green eyes light up her very soul.

A cup of coffee with James led to a romantic candlelit dinner a week later. A month passed in the blink of an eye, and the two foxes spent a night of passion at his shack that he'd sweated to keep ownership of for a decade. The flame that burned between Olivia and James ignited to its fullest that night, pushing both of them into a tango of caressing and moaning within the confines of his bed.

While a cub of their own had come as a surprise to them, James and Olivia were overjoyed to hear the news all the same. He'd hit upon his best idea yet: Suitopia, a suit emporium for every animal in Zootopia. By a miracle, James finally secured a loan to get the business started. Once Suitopia had grown into an empire of its own, he planned on letting their son Nicholas P. Wilde inherit the trade once he'd grown up.

That business had never come to pass, unfortunately. One tragic decision to enter town for some groceries had cost them both more than any loan could ever pay for. She was devastated when she had to identify James's body at the ZPD, even more so knowing that little Nick would grow up having never known his father. Despite the support she received from friends and family during the last month of her pregnancy, Olivia didn't know if she'd have the strength to carry on after losing James. When the day came that she was in the hospital bed with a little mewling ball of fur in her arms, the hurt she'd carried lessened substantially. The joy her baby Nick provided renewed her strength to push onward.

To the right of the picture with she and James was a picture of a fox cub, adorned in a red t-shirt with blue shorts. His face was bright with wide opened eyes and a laughing smile as he rode down the street on a small bicycle. Olivia remembered that day fondly; Nick had been so frustrated before that he couldn't keep the thing straight enough to ride forward without tipping over. Several tries later, with Olivia giving him a head start each time, he'd managed to keep it steady for several paces. From that point forward, he'd become a master of his bike, Olivia scrambling to capture the moment in a photograph.

Further along the mantle, a picture with the same fox, a few feet taller, dressed in fashionably torn jeans with a designer t-shirt which had its sleeves rolled up. A haughty smirk upon his face, Nick stared at the camera with half-lidded eyes and a raised brow. His high school senior photo, taken just a week before he graduated. Though his teachers complimented him for his dashing smile, Olivia recognized that condescending grin conveying his ego. She'd noticed it the day after he'd come back from initiation for the Junior Ranger Scouts, when she'd found his uniform in the trash after all the excitement of wanting to join their ranks. Looking up at her with those half-lidded eyes and that arrogant half smile, he replied:

 _Eh, I changed my mind. Just a bunch of dorks hanging around in stupid outfits. I got better things to do than that._

Olivia knew that wasn't the truth. As a fox, she could detect insincerity in front of her, especially with her own son. Olivia wanted to know the truth, but she didn't have the strength to force it from him. She tried asking him again several times afterward, insisting that he could tell her if something was bothering him. All he responded with was that same condescending look each time. Though he never misbehaved or acted out as he grew up, their relationship had changed. He closed himself off from her and relied on just his own methods to trudge through life.

Reaching for the picture in the middle, Olivia held the image of young Nick Wilde on his bike against her chest. She felt awful that he'd been hurting for so long and that she didn't know how to help. She'd used what little money she could spare to hire a psychologist during his adolescence. After a few months of trying, the counselor made no progress; Nick had confined himself within a shell that no one could crack. Despite the pain he'd gone through in his life, he at least held onto his moral conscience, going above and beyond to save Zootopia. She knew that James would love him and be proud of him unconditionally, but she hoped that maybe he was smiling a little brighter as he watched his son become a hero to the city.

Finished reflecting on the past for the moment, Olivia replaced the picture on the mantle and stepped into the kitchen. Grabbing a pen and paper, she'd need to make a list for a trip to the grocery store and prepare for her son's visit tomorrow afternoon.


	2. Home Sweet Home

With the sun shining in the afternoon sky, a slender red fox with a green tropical shirt and indigo tie stood on the sidewalk of 1242 Padfoot Street, his Furarri parked on the street behind him. Nick Wilde stared at the worn brick of the building, a mix of sentiment and regret swirling in his chest. He and Finnick had driven by a number of times over the years, if a hustle of theirs happened to take them this way. Nick hadn't stepped foot in the house for twelve years now, not since he'd left for college. Though it hadn't fazed him in the past, a touch of guilt clung to his shoulders at the moment. Nick's mother had poured her soul into raising him by herself, giving him a comfortable life, and he didn't even have the good grace to pay her a visit. He had let the bond between him and his mother suffer, all because of one night she had no control over.

Taking his paws out of his pockets, Nick brushed his cheeks and rubbed away some of the building stress. It was all in the past; he was here now, and he would do what he could to try and make up for his mistakes.

 _I know it's gonna feel a little weird._ Judy assured him, before he'd called his mother yesterday. _You've got to give it a try though, if you want to change things for the better. Change starts with you, Nick._

Nick stepped forward, climbing the steps up to the brown wooden door. His paw hesitated for a moment over the doorbell before he pushed it. The sound of the bell from inside made his shoulders jump. Nick wiggled his anxious toes against the pavement, waiting for her to answer.

In less than a minute, the knob turned and the door opened. Nick's face went numb when he saw the vixen with a similar red coat as his staring back at him. Her arms and legs were a bit thinner, her hips a little wider and her ears more he recognized the face immediately, it had changed a bit from what he remembered. He noticed that a few wrinkles had formed at the corners of her hazel eyes, and a few streaks of white had started to form around the center of her face. Just an inch shorter than Nick, her face tilted up as she looked at him with a compassionate smile.

"Hi, sweetheart!" Olivia greeted him. As soon as the door opened enough, she darted forward and wrapped her arms around him under his shoulders.

"Hey, Mom," Nick replied. He felt Olivia's paws squeeze him tightly, her upper body trembling. Nick understood; he'd spent too much time away from her over the years. Feeling her arms around him again felt soothing, like she was lifting a burden from his soul that he wasn't aware it had been carrying. He rubbed his paw against her right shoulder, reassuring her that he was glad to be here, and more than eager to make up for lost time.

"Oh, I'm glad you're here, honey. I've missed you so much." After a minute, Olivia stepped away. "Come on in, sit down," she urged him, stepping toward the kitchen, "I'm gonna put some tea on."

Nick sat down on the beige bridgewater sofa as his mother stepped out of sight. He looked forward, at the LCD television atop a wooden display. In the past, a television with a glass screen encased in a large wooden frame had occupied the same space. It was a relic even when Nick was a cub, needing a slap to the top of its frame to stop its random flickering now and then. Aside from the new television set, not much about the place had changed. He could see, hanging along the dark green walls littered with palm tree leaves, the same oil paintings of old medieval lords and castles. To the left near the window, the familiar decorative dolls and pillows filling the seats near a table with a pot of flowers at the center. Nick had never realized how much the place felt like an old person's home as he'd lived there. Still, it had a cozy charm that he admired. He felt safe within its familiar realm once again.

"I've got grasshopper casserole cooking in the oven. It should be ready in an hour."

"Mmm your good 'ol casserole sounds good right now," Nick replied with fondness, "Haven't had that in years."

"Well, you could have had it anytime you wanted to. You just had to swing by and I would have made it for you."

Nick emanated a wince of discomfort. "Yeah, about that," he began, "I just want to say...I'm sorry, Mom."

Olivia tilted her head in confusion. "For what?"

"For cutting you off all these years. I didn't want to tell you what happened, because I didn't think it would help me." Nick's chest rose as he took a deep breath, preparing for what he needed to say. "The night I went to the initiation, the scouts didn't want to accept me, because I was a predator. They put me in a muzzle, and... I ran away from them with my tail between my legs."

Olivia's smile dropped, her ears standing up in response. Nick felt his stomach twist as the events of that night flashed before his eyes. Though he'd mostly lied in an effort to protect himself, he also took solace in the idea that he was sparing her the burden of his troubles. Nick pushed through the uneasy feeling in his stomach, hoping that telling his mother the truth was indeed the right thing to do.

"So, big smart me decided it was easier to be what everyone expected of me: a sly, shifty fox with no reason to push for an honest living," Nick resumed, "I couldn't take you seriously anymore because I was tired of trying to live up to the stories you told me about Dad. I figured that I might not be as noble as him, but..." Nick shook his head. "Anyway, yeah. That wasn't fair to you, for me to just switch off when all you wanted to do was help me. I'm sorry I did that to you, Mom."

Nick kept silent as his mother processed what he'd just told her. After so many years of distance, of keeping her out of his emotional wall, she finally learned the truth. Though it felt liberating to finally tell the truth, Nick saw the pain in her eyes. The side of her mouth twitched just slightly. Without a word, Nick could sense her maternal instincts kicking in, wishing she'd had the chance to tell off the parents of the children who'd broken her son's heart when it happened.

"Nick, sweetheart," she began, "You know I've always loved you, right?" Nick nodded in silence. "That's never changed, and it's never going to."

"I know, and That is why I feel so terrible; I shouldn't have treated someone as good as you like the way I did."

"That's a mother's job," she reassured him, "No matter how much grief our children give us, we keep at it."

"Heh, wish I was that strong," he chuckled.

"You might be some day. You should give yourself more credit," she said, patting his paw, "I want you to believe that."

"I do," Nick replied, leaning back on the couch, "The past few weeks taught me a lot about striving to be more than just a 'sly fox'."

"That's wonderful! Why don't you tell me all about it?"

"You sure you're ready for this?" Nick warned her, turning to face her with one arm on the back of the couch, "It's a doozy."

"I'd be disappointed if it wasn't," she replied, crossing her paws over her lap, "I want to hear every little detail."

"If you say so." Nick cleared his throat before he began. "Okay, so me and Finnick, we're hanging out at Jumbeaux's Cafe, when — what?" Nick asked, noticing Olivia's hazel eyes had twinkled and her smile had widened at the mention of the parlor.

"What?" Olivia asked, feigning innocence.

"That, that look you just gave me. What, you don't believe me?"

Olivia's mouth shriveled and she shook her head. Nick glared at her for a moment, before she resigned. "You were hustling, Nick. I know that's what you've been doing for years."

Nick sighed and his head slumped into the paw on the back of the couch. "You weren't supposed to know that, Mom."

"Nicholas, I'm not stupid," she said with an arrogant smirk, "You spent one semester at college and dropped out without a degree. How else were you going to get by?" Nick shook his head, clearly unsettled by his mother's deduction. "Sweetheart, it's fine. While I don't exactly approve of that, I know you had to do what you needed to survive. I'm not judging you." Nick lifted an eyebrow at her. Olivia raised her paw with her digits pinching the air, whispering "just a little bit" under her breath. Nick let out a hearty chuckle at the gesture. "Keep going with your story."

"Right, so, me and Finnick have this hustle planned involving a Jumbeaux Pop, but the big J is giving us some trouble, saying they don't serve 'our kind'. Luckily, this meter maid rabbit waltzes in, making a big scene about health code violations, and pushing the guy to sell us the pop."

"Rabbit — you mean Judy?" Nick nodded. "She was a meter maid?"

"Yup," Nick replied, "She's a real cop now thanks to me." Olivia giggled in good humor, letting him continue. "Okay, we get the pop, end up dividing it into a couple dozen smaller treats, sell those to a bunch of lemmings, and sell the sticks to some rodent construction workers. Carrots — well, Judy — ends up following me and giving me a lecture about blah-blah morals blah-blah false advertising, so I give her a big reality check about being a cop in a big city, really put her on ice; well, more like wet cement. Anyway…"

* * *

Olivia Wilde lifted the ceramic pot of tea on the table in front of the sofa, and poured herself her second cup since her son had begun his story. For the past fifteen minutes, Nick had regaled her with a tale of wits, heartbreak and self-discovery. All of it built up to a perilous fight for their lives in the Natural History Museum between he and Judy, against mayor Bellwether and her hired goons.

"Judy and I are in the pit, and Bellwether shoots me with her nighthowler gun, not realizing that she just hit me with a blueberry instead of the nighthowler serum," Nick went on, while Olivia took a sip of warm lemon herbal tea, "And I go into one of my best performances ever. I'm snarling, running on all fours, tearing up a mannequin, and Bellwether buys the whole thing. She even starts doing the whole 'Look at me, I'm the villain giving away my plan because I'm so confident' thing, and I'm trying not to crack a smile while I'm still in character. After I get Judy's neck in my jaws, we call it quits, and Judy reveals that we were recording her whole confession on tape. Mom, the look on her face was priceless!" Olivia's empty paw shot up to her nose, keeping herself from snorting and spewing a mess of tea on her couch.

"Oh my God, Nick! That's clever!" Olivia exclaimed. "And you said that was Judy's idea?"

"She came up with the whole thing in a matter of seconds, even when her leg was bleeding. Best hustle I've ever seen. I'm a little jealous I didn't think of it myself." Nick took a sip from his own cup of tea, relishing in the aftertaste of tang and spice. "Anyway, Bellwether gets taken away by the ZPD, then Judy and l get taken to the hospital for her leg. Next thing we know, city council invites us to receive an award for pretty much saving the city."

"Honey, that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you. I knew you still had it in you to do the right thing when it was necessary."

"Speaking of the awards though, that's actually one of the reasons why I wanted to see you today." Nick put his cup of tea down and clasped his paws together. "I wanted to personally invite you to the ceremony this Friday. It's kind of the first time I've accomplished anything since graduating high school, and I wouldn't feel right if you weren't there in the front row to see it."

Olivia felt her heart warmed by his invitation. "Of course, dear," she replied, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Good! Judy's family is gonna be there too. They're, uh, kinda numerous, so just get ready to meet a LOT of bunnies. Most of them kids."

"I'm sure I'll manage," she assured him.

"Right. So, other thing I wanted to come here today for, and this one's pretty important." Nick flattened his paws against his khaki pants, his anxiousness making itself more apparent. "I've decided I'm not gonna hustle anymore."

"Really?" Olivia asked, quite surprised, "That is pretty big. But what are you going to do for money instead?"

Nick smiled nervously, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of paper folded into a small square, handing it to his mother. Putting her tea on the table, she unfolded the document all the way. Her expression froze as she looked at the title of the document within her paws.

Underneath the large bolded print reading "Employment Application" was a bright golden badge, a star over a blue circle at the center with the title "Zootopia Police" at the top. Nick's personal information filled the rest of the application, everything from his height and weight to his special abilities.

"Sweetheart, you… want to be a police officer?"

With his ears laying back against his head, Nick nodded. "Yeah. Kind of wanted your approval first though."

"Nick, of course I approve," she replied in a reassuring tone, "Why did you think I wouldn't?"

"I, uh, you know," Nick winced, drumming his digits against his legs, "...Dad."

Olivia lifted her head, realization hitting her all at once. She'd protected him from the full truth when he was a cub, but told him the whole story once he'd grown older. Though Nick had never known his father, learning the truth of how he'd died made an impact on how he perceived a world dominated by prey animals. Olivia sat in silence for a moment, deliberating how to respond to him.

"Sweetheart, James, your father…" she began, her body tense as she spoke to keep her emotions in check, "He was a fox who had been pulled over or stopped on the street quite often, just for being a fox at the wrong place and time." Olivia had to compose herself for what came next.

"When that police officer shot your father down that day, the city went crazy." Olivia's voice shook as she spoke. "I was ready to go to court against his killer, but there wasn't any need. The ZPD fired him immediately, and paid me a huge settlement on his behalf. They paid off the loans James had acquired for his business three times over, enough to buy this house, and enough for me to stay at home and raise you until you were old enough to attend daycare while I worked."

Olivia's eyes glistened as she remembered her husband's face and his soothing voice. Just as her vision became blurry, a paw rested on her shoulder. Her son had scooted a little closer to the sofa, patting her in an effort to console her. She smiled at his affection, and a tear rolled into her fur. Olivia's chest expanded as she wiped the corner of her eye dry.

"Your father was aware that a lot of cops didn't trust foxes, but he knew they didn't represent what the police stood for. He believed at their core, they were a force dedicated to serving and protecting all animals equally, without reservation. Nick, if you join the ZPD, that's one more honest and morally right cop among their ranks. I'd be proud knowing you were one of the good faces representing them, and your father would be too."

Nick was at a loss for words at the moment. He'd been nervous that his mother would see it as a sign of disrespect to his dad's memory to work for the force that killed him. Working with Judy Hopps against his will had restored his faith in the department, and she'd given him her vote of confidence that he'd fit right in as her partner. He hoped that by integrating himself into the system, he'd be one of the good cops like Judy, making sure the tragedy that claimed his father's life would never happen again.

"Thanks, Mom," Nick said, his voice cracking. Olivia slid forward past the hand on her shoulder and leaned her head against his shoulder. Nick wrapped his arm around her back, his head next to hers. His chin leaned against the back of her neck, while her muzzle absorbed his familiar scent. The two remained locked in each other's embrace, trembling with emotion and relying on one another for comfort. After a moment of silence, Nick leaned away from her, sniffling and wiping his own eyes.

"Geez. I figured there were gonna be waterworks today. Didn't think they'd come from me though."

Olivia chuckled in good humor, reaching to the side of the couch for a box of tissues on a small table. "You take after me more than you think, son."

"Ha ha, very funny," Nick said, his voice still uneasy as he accepted the paw full of tissues.

"I have a question though, Nick." Olivia asked, following a loud honk as her son cleared his nose and wiped the corners of his eyes. "What are you wearing to the award ceremony?" His eyes dry, Nick sat up straight, motioning his paws down the center of his green shirt and parting them to the side, presenting his current attire to her. "No. You are not wearing that to an esteemed event like this."

"What's wrong with it?"

"You're joking, right? Honey, look at it. Stand up." With a groan, Nick stood to his feet. His shirt and pants fell victim to gravity, showing that they had a lot of space away from Nick's legs and arms. "It's too big for you! It's practically hanging off of your body."

"It-it's comfortable," Nick protested in vain.

"Do you not have something more your size?"

"It's the only suit I own."

"Oh for God's sake. Come with me," she ordered, grabbing Nick's paw and pulling him with her. She escorted him up the oak stairs and into her bedroom.

Within a room of sepia walls, a pair of chestnut dressers bordered the sides of a large bed framed with the same material. Lamps of graphite stood on each dresser, with beige shades at the top. Along with a few more paintings on the walls, some potted plants accompanied the lamps, their shrubbery hanging just above the top drawers of the dressers.

Olivia stepped toward the wall opposite the windows and opened the closet. She pushed aside a number of blouses and dresses, revealing a collection of pristine black and brown suits. Nick marveled at the sight, absorbing their demure appearance. Not a thread was out of place nor a speck of dust on the cloth. They looked to be in better condition than a few of Olivia's dresses that she hadn't worn in years.

"Are those… Dad's?" Nick asked with an astonished tone.

"They are," Olivia replied, running her paw to and from the selection in front of her.

"Those things have gotta be decades old. They look brand new."

"I dust them now and then, give them a quick pat down. I'll take them to the dry cleaners once a year as well. I just don't like your father's things getting musty. Here, I think you should have this one," she said, picking out one in the middle and handing it to him.

Nick inspected the outfit in his paws: a smooth, dark polyester jacket and pants, with a white cotton long sleeve underneath, and a blue tie draped around the collar. It felt surreal holding one of the many suits his father wore. Nick had never known his dad, just seeing him in pictures and hearing stories about him from his mom. Nick learned that his dad was a business tycoon, always looking to make a profit; sort of like Nick, in a way. His dad however was determined to go about his endeavors on the right side of the law, even if it ended up costing him more than he would gain. Nick felt a smidgen of disappointment in himself, knowing he went against what his father stood for.

"I'll wait outside." Olivia said as she stepped back toward the door, snapping Nick from his thoughts, "Let me know when you've changed."

Nick nodded as she stepped out of the door. Looking at the suit again, Nick resolved he would change; not just his clothes, but his way of life as well. Slipping his tie over his head, and his arms under his shirt, he hoped that this suit would serve as his father's blessing, a symbol that he would no longer cater to the stereotype of a shifty fox he'd surrendered to long ago. He would fight to prove to himself and to others that he was worth more than they assumed him to be.

Several minutes passed, and Nick had donned his father's suit. The sleeves and pants hugged his limbs more than he was used to, but it still allowed enough room for him to maneuver. Just one problem remained: the blue tie resting in the pad of his paw.

"Done?" Olivia asked from the other side of the door.

"Mostly?" Nick replied with hesitance, "I'm dressed, at least."

The bedroom door opened, and Olivia stepped through. "Oh, that looks nice on you!" She exclaimed, before seeing the tie in his grasp and his confused expression, "Nicholas Wilde, don't tell me you don't know how to tie a tie."

"Okay, I won't tell you that," he replied with a grin.

"You're kidding me. What about that tie?" she asked, pointing to the clothes on her bed that he'd just changed out of.

"I looked it up, once. Then I just kept it tied and loosened it as I needed to."

Olivia curled her lips inward and shook her head. She stepped forward, pulling the tie from his grip and slinging it over the back of his neck. She wrapped the biggest part over the opposite end, slipping it through the loop, up in front of Nick's face, before bringing it down and wrapping it around the center.

"Honestly, how have you gotten through your life this long?" Olivia replied, slipping the end up through the loop once again, "You know you're going to have to wear a suit and tie to your interviews with the police academy, don't you? And that they'll know if you're just using the same knot over and over without re-tying it?"

"Okay? I'll look it up online when I need to,".

Olivia's nostrils flared. "Fine," she replied in a curt tone, "I think it's better if you memorize it, but you're an adult. You do what you want." Olivia finished her work around his neck, slipping the end of his tie through the final loop down the center.

With the blue cloth tied in a proper windsor knot around him, Olivia stepped back to look at him again. She felt a chill run through her body as she looked at Nick, dressed in his suit and tie, a confident smirk on his face and staring back at her with his bright green eyes. For an instant, she felt like she was nineteen again, returning a piece of paper to that fox who'd lost yet another chance at a loan. She could feel it now, that same rush his gaze had pulled from her as she stared into his eyes.

"How do I look?" Nick asked, pulling Olivia back to the present.

"You… you look just like your father," Olivia muttered, holding her paws up under her chin.

"Do I?"

Olivia nodded. "Go look in the mirror."

Near the closet doors, a full length mirror was built into the wall. Nick stepped in front of the glass and looked at his reflection. His eyebrows rose in surprise at the sight of himself. He'd not worn a real suit his whole life. The form fitting attire complimented his lean figure, making him look more fit than his usual drabby duds. The bottoms of his pants stopped just above his ankles, drawing some attention to his shapely heels.

"Wow. Sna-zzy!" Nick chimed, turning around to admire the back, appreciating the lift the pants gave to the area around his tail, "Boy, I am dressed to kill. Dad wore stuff like this all the time?"

"He did," Olivia spoke, sidling up to him, admiring his reflection as well, "He never left the house without a suit. He felt the need to keep his best appearance up no matter where he went."

"Man. He was really driven."

"He was. I think you are too, son." Olivia wrapped her paws around his chest, underneath his arms. With her eyes closed, the side of her head leaned up against his back. "You denied it for a while, but I think your recent endeavors helped you regain that part of yourself."

Nick wore an endearing smile as his mother's paw brushed against his chest. She had always been the clingy type when he was younger, always wanting to scoop him up in her arms and assault him with a barrage of kisses and comforting hugs. She hadn't changed after thirty years, despite his absence. Nick wasn't used to his mother hanging on him after he'd been on his own for so long. He let it slide though; being alone for so long without her husband and her son had probably made her feel isolated. Seeing her son dressed in her late-husband's attire no doubt filled her with a rush of sentiment. He didn't blame her for needing to hold him again.

A surge traveled up his chest as his mother's paw traveled further down, rubbing his belly. He didn't want to admit it, but her ministrations felt somewhat enticing. His toes curled as the rush moved to his groin, making his shaft twitch with a small sign of life. Olivia's paw rubbed his belly further down, moving past the waist of his pants and tracing a digit between his legs. Nick's mind grinded to a halt as he absorbed the situation. His own mother was stroking his groin outside of his pants. His stomach turned and his tail curled between his haunches in alarm.

"Okay, whoa!" Nick shouted, stepping to the side and away from his mother's grasp. "You're getting a little too touchy with me, Mom."

Olivia stared wide eyed at him, as if she'd all of a sudden woken from a dream. The two remained silent, Nick's rod in a limbo of semi-hardness under his pants, and Olivia's arms frozen in front of her. Her eyes lowered from him, toward her paws. She looked at them with disbelief, struggling to comprehend what they'd done.

"I-I'm going to go check that casserole," Olivia responded in an evasive manner, turning away from him and toward the door.

"Ah-ah, hang on just a second," Nick interjected, darting across the room and slamming a paw against the wall to prevent her advance, "What was that all about?" Olivia's head sunk into her shoulders as she averted her eyes. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

Olivia's teeth clenched in worry. "I… may not have gotten over your father's death completely, even after all this time," she admitted.

"What?"

"Your father was my everything for the longest time!" Olivia blurted, "Then he was just ripped from my life in the blink of an eye. I felt like I lost my soul when he died. Then I had you. You became my world, Nick. My whole life revolved around you. Then you grow up and leave, and never visit again, hardly even talk to me for a few minutes on the phone!" Olivia's eyes began to well up with tears as she exclaimed, Nick's face remaining stern and fixed on her. "You come back to me, after twelve years of distance. I just — I don't want to lose you again." she reached her paws out toward Nick, who rose his own up in defense and stepped away. Olivia's face winced, clearly hurt by the way he kept his distance from her.

"So what, you want to replace Dad with me? That it?" Nick asked accusingly.

"Absolutely not!" Olivia disputed, "No one could ever replace your father."

"Look, I get that I messed up. I shouldn't have given you the cold shoulder for a decade. I'm sorry," Nick replied with scorn, "So what, you miss me so much you... want to screw me?"

"Nick, I don't…" Olivia stammered, trying to force the words from her throat, "I- N-n…"

"Just say it. Say 'no'," Nick demanded. Olivia's chest rose and fell, her jaw clenching as she fought to speak. "Oh my God. You do want to screw me."

"Nick, I would not force you to do something like that, if you didn't want to."

Nick's jaw hung open. His eyes widened and his pupils shrank. "Are you kidding me?" he asked, "'If I don't want to'? Are you listening to yourself right now? So, you're not gonna force me to do it, or try to guilt trip me into it, great. You're still entertaining the idea though?"

"I don't like thinking about it!" Olivia shouted, now unable to fight back her tears, "I don't know why my mind is doing this to me, and I don't like it, but — I'm sorry, I can't help what I'm thinking!" Olivia wept, burying her face in her paws. Nick could only watch on with a frozen gaze, his mother's whimpering the only sound breaking their silence. "Please," Olivia sobbed, sniffing through her nostrils, "Can we please just go downstairs and have lunch? I promise I won't touch you like that anymore, just… I can't lose you again, after I just got you back."

Nick's glare softened after listening to her. He no longer stared daggers at her, but he remained defensive. Putting his hands in his pocket, Nick stared at his feet in contemplation.

"I'm going to my room," he replied after a moment.

Olivia's face rose from her paws, her mascara a smeared mess under the fur of her eyes.

"What? Why are you — ?"

"I need time to think," he interrupted, turning to open the door and step out into the hallway. He walked a yard away from her bedroom door, opening the one adjacent to hers across the hall. "Don't bother me, or I'm leaving. And I don't know if I'll come back," he warned her before slamming the door.

Leaning up against the door, Nick heard his mother sob softly. After a few seconds of silence, her footsteps sounded across the hall, and descended down the stairs. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Nick slumped down to the floor, his tail curled around his hindquarters.

 _Good God, what the heck just happened?_ Nick asked himself, crossing his arms over his knees and burying his head into his elbows. _She and I are getting along after so much time apart, then out of nowhere, she just starts fondling me._ Nick shivered at the thought. He could still feel the sensation of his mother's paw tracing down his belly, rubbing up against his groin.

Weirder still was that his body seemed to like it. It made him erect, just a little bit. He'd felt her touch somewhat enticing. It was probably just a physical response, though. He knew in his mind that it was wrong. His own mother, the woman who'd changed his diapers, taught him to read, and made his lunch for him every morning before school, now wanted to get freaky with him. He felt betrayed in a sense, like she'd destroyed everything good between them in an instant.

Lifting his head up, Nick's chin rested on his arms. He looked forward at the blue walls of his bedroom. Much to his surprise, it hadn't changed a bit, except that it was much cleaner than he'd left it in the past. Next to a large bookshelf filled with stories he hardly touched, a long cardboard bin of old comic books sat atop an indigo toy chest. He looked above his bed seeing the posters along the two walls above it. Facing the door was the angry face of The Incarcerator, vigilante wildebeest who enforced justice with the blood of his enemies. Catty-cornered to his growling fangs, the Fur Fighters, posing for the cover of their third album since they'd debuted. His mother had kept his room the same as he'd left it so long ago.

Nick's ears twitched as he heard the sound of some bells chiming. Standing up, he walked across his bedroom to the window on the farthest wall. He looked outside, toward the expanse of Padfoot Street. A group of young predators, a tiger, a wolf, and a badger, all rode along the street with a variety of colored bikes. Leaning on the window sill, Nick recalled a memory he'd forgotten until now. He saw himself with a red helmet down on that street, five years old and holding his scratched knee in his paws. A bike of his own laid on its side next to him with the front wheel spinning.

 _Good try, sweetheart!_ A young Olivia Wilde of twenty five cheered, rushing to his side. _You okay? Do we need to cut it off?_ she teased, rubbing his hurt leg. Nick, frowned and unstrapped his helmet, throwing it to the ground. _Nick, what's wrong?_

 _This is stupid._ Little Nick replied in a huff. _Why do I have to ride a bike without the other wheels on it?_

 _Honey, I already told you; you're getting too big for your tricycle._ she said, rubbing his shoulder. _Don't you want to ride a big-boy bike?_

 _I don't want to keep falling off of it!_

Olivia frowned with sympathy for her kit. _I know it's frustrating sweetheart. Sometimes you have to fail a few times before you get good at something._ Despite her encouragement and soothing ministrations across his back, the little fox still seemed discouraged. _Come on Nick, let's give it one more try. If you get it right this time, I'll make you some cookies as soon as we get back in the house._ Olivia reached for the discarded helmet and lifted it off the ground.

 _What if I fall again?_ he asked as his mother placed his helmet back on his head and buckled the strap under his chin.

 _Then I'll still make you some cookies!_ she assured him, pulling him close and hugging him tightly. _Because you've tried really hard today, and you deserve a reward just for that._

Finally, Nick managed to crack a smile. _Okay._ he replied. She lifted the fallen bike upright, and Nick straddled the seat. He gripped the handle bars, set his feet on the pedals and took a deep breath.

 _Start pedaling honey._ Olivia instructed, still holding the back of the bike. Slowly, Nick pushed the little pedals forward and the bike began to move. _There you go. Go a little faster, pick up some speed._ Olivia began to walk forward with her grip tight. She broke into a light jog as Nick's pace increased. _Good, good, keep going!_

In an instant, Olivia let go of the bike, lifting her paws up to her mouth as she watched him pedal onward. Nick kept up the pace of his feet, unaware his mother had let him go. Several seconds passed, and Nick turned his head both ways, realizing his mother wasn't there. He continued pedaling. He kept his bike straight and steady as he moved forward. His eyes opened wide, and he broke into a wide smile.

 _Whoa!_ the fox exclaimed in delight. _I'm doing it! I'm really doing it!_

Olivia's eyes lit up with joy, her tail swishing behind her as she watched on.

 _Way to go, Nick!_ she exclaimed, pulling her disposable camera out of her pocket to take a picture. _That's mommy's good boy!_

From atop his window in the present time, a warm smile spread across Nick's face. He remembered his achievement fondly, as well as the batch of warm victory cookies he'd scarfed down soon after. Olivia was a wonderful mother, one who kept encouraging him even after he'd lost faith in himself. She'd never wanted him to think he wasn't capable of more if he just gave himself a chance.

Nick turned around, leaning against the window and looking toward the flannel sheets of his bed. His mind drifted back to what had happened several minutes ago, when she'd groped him unexpectedly. Did that one act invalidate everything she'd done for him up to this point?

No. Nick knew in his heart that wasn't true. It was weird, yes, maybe even wrong. It didn't make her a bad person though. Seeing her face full of sorrow, he knew she resented her actions. She still had his best interests at heart.

Nick stepped across his room, and slumped on his old bed. His mother was lusting after him. Weird. Why was it weird? Because he'd been taught it was weird. Yes, as a child, he'd said he wanted to marry his mother once or twice, but only because he didn't know any better. She herself had told him as much, that she wanted him to find a fox closer to his own age to bring home to her. And when she'd had the talk with him, she made it clear that sex with family members was something that didn't happen, both for nasty offspring defects, and society's disapproval of the act.

Nick considered something else. He'd had sex with many vixens over the years, to satisfy his own physical urges, not for reproduction purposes. What was more, Judy had showed him that society's views weren't always the best doctrine to live by; otherwise, he would still be resigned to the life of a conman. Maybe they were wrong about this too?

His body curled up into the fetal position as he pictured the act. He and his mother stripping down naked, wrapping themselves around each other and moaning in low, deep pitches like savages. He growled in frustration as he gripped his head, trying to shake the image from his mind.

Nick groaned and rubbed his temples. _Why did things have to get so weird?_ he asked himself. Turning onto his back and staring up at the ceiling, Nick's arms and legs spread into the shape of a star. He couldn't stay in his room forever. Sooner or later, he'd have to walk out that door with a purpose in mind. Like it or not, things between him and his mother would change from now on, no matter what.

He had to make the difficult decision of how things would play out from here.


	3. Closer Than Ever

Along the lime-green wall, next to the window of an empty kitchen, a wooden clock ticked the minutes by. The warmth of the gas-powered oven still clung to the air. A glass dish sat atop the stove, holding the gelatinous contents of a grasshopper casserole mixed with a slather of cheese and white rice. The one who'd prepared the dish had only enough will to pull it out of the oven several minutes ago. Afterwards, she'd secluded herself to the arm chair in her living room to wallow in her pit of guilt.

Mrs. Olivia Wilde wept all alone, heaving breaths of sorrow as tears seeped into her red fur. With a handkerchief wrapped within her paw, she dabbed at the corners of her hazel eyes, sobbing silently so the sound didn't carry upwards to Nick's room. Her chest was wound up in tight knots as her thoughts dwelled on her mistake.

Nearly an hour ago, Olivia had made the biggest mistake of her life. She'd involuntarily groped her son, disgusting him as much as she disgusted herself. The urge had struck her out of nowhere. Seeing Nick in her husband's old suit brought back a flood of emotions she'd held within herself for so long. Holding him within her arms, she'd slipped into a trance. It felt like she was holding James all over again, feeling his strong body wrapped up in her grasp. Even after he'd died thirty years ago, she could still imagine his presence.

Despite the surprise of Olivia's pregnancy, James was thrilled with the news all the same. Even as her belly swelled with the baby's growth, James never once stopped making her feel beautiful. So many nights spent with both of them lying in bed, their bodies completely bared for one another. They'd had to change how they went about making love, but James didn't mind a bit. With Olivia laying on her back, her large belly made it difficult to see James' face going to work between her legs. She could feel him however; her body would light up with electricity with every lick and kiss he planted on her wet folds. Then to bring her home, he would crawl up behind her, and slip his paw down between her thighs, giving her that extra push she needed.

 _Atta' girl._ He'd whisper between kissing and nipping at her neck, as she moaned in ecstasy. _That's my sweet little Olive._

Olivia missed hearing that name from her husband more than she'd realized. All those dormant feelings, that longing and need for an intimate embrace, all of it buried after Nick's birth. Being a mother helped keep her mind occupied, especially with such a sweet little cub for her son. Nick distancing himself had cut her deeply. She hadn't more than a few other ladies as her friends, and the isolation took its toll on her over the years. Having Nick come back, matured and charismatic as ever, flooded her with a joy she wasn't prepared for. Seeing him all dressed up made her realize just how dashing and handsome of a fox he had become. She hadn't even realized her paw had moved that far down until Nick had jumped away and glared with ferocity her. It was an accident, old forgotten habits that had resurfaced before she could do anything about it. She'd realized her mistake too late. The damage was done.

Olivia cursed herself for her emotions getting the best of her, allowing such a depraved thought to enter her mind. With her paws covering her face, she lamented what she assumed would happen in time. Nick would leave the house, probably without saying a word to her. He would distance himself from her once again, not just for another twelve years, but for good this time. Olivia wouldn't blame him; how could a son ever feel comfortable around his mother knowing she wanted to get into his pants?

Her ears twitched to the sound of Nick's bedroom door opening from upstairs. He was walking down the stairs at the moment. Olivia wiped her eyes and sniffed through her nostrils in an attempt to hide her sorrow. She wasn't going to try and guilt trip her son into forgiving her. For his sake, she couldn't allow herself that selfishness.

Surprisingly, Nick did not advance for the door. Out of the corner of her sight, she noticed Nick walk into the living room, standing adjacent to where she sat and stared right at her. He was still dressed in his father's suave black suit and tie. Olivia didn't dare make eye contact with him. She was just too ashamed of herself to meet his disgusted glare. She hoped that he would speak soon. Perhaps if he lashed out at her, get it all out of his system, it could lead to them trying to repair what she'd broken. She could put up with some verbal abuse if it meant a chance for them to stay in each other's lives.

With Olivia's eyes still averted, Nick approached her slowly. He stood in front of her, his head tilted down and staring at her even while she kept her head bowed in shame. Nick reached his paw to her muzzle, nudging it back so she could face him properly. Olivia saw a look of tension in her son's green eyes, though it didn't seem angry or disgusted as they had been half an hour ago.

Nick leaned in and pressed his lips against his mother's. Olivia was taken aback, too tense to open her mouth for anything deeper. Bewildered at the act, her mind struggled to comprehend if this was really happening. She didn't fight it though; she remained still, feeling Nick's strong lips nuzzled up against hers. His eyes were closed, and his paw remained on her cheek, holding her steady.

Several seconds passed before Nick broke the kiss, pulling his head back from her. His eyes opened, the same intense look from before still on his face. His gaze drifted downward, and his brow lifted with interest at something.

"Well, what do you know?" Nick asked in a deadpan tone.

Confused, Olivia looked downward where Nick stared. She was shocked at the sight before her: a large bulge poking from the front of her son's pants. It wasn't a semi-erection either, it was close to full mast. She could even see the slant at the top of his pointed tip, pushing at the tight the polyester around his girth.

"I… see," Olivia responded, still flabbergasted at the development between her son's legs. She could feel a little twinge building up within her own folds, making her sit more upright to try and conceal it. "Okay then."

"Right. So," Nick began, his groin still stiff. He lifted his head up toward the ceiling, some anxiousness building up in his face. His jawline clenched up, and his white teeth showed as he fought to speak. "You want to, uh," Nick stammered, running his paw around the collar of his suit and clearing his throat. "You wanna do it?"

Olivia's eyebrows jumped at the question, her ears flicking upright. She fixed her sight upon her son, his eyes darting up and down nervously. Olivia opened her mouth in an effort to reply, but she couldn't process any words at the moment. Her mouth closed again, hoping she could gather her thoughts in due time.

"Well?" Nick asked with a bit more volume.

"I don't know, Nick," Olivia replied.

"What do you mean you don't know? What about upstairs, when you got a paw full of my package?"

"That wasn't on purpose, Nick," Mrs. Wilde retorted, feeling her chest tighten at the same time, "Yes, some part of me has those kind of feelings, but that doesn't mean I think it's the right thing to do. The whole time you've been up in your room, I've been down here feeling disgusted by the whole thing."

"Yeah. I've kind of been feeling the same thing," Nick admitted.

Olivia shook her head, her paws squeezing at her dress while the tingle between her legs persisted. "Nick, what's going on? Up there, you acted like I was some kind of monster. Half an hour later, you come down and kiss me? What changed?"

"I took some time to chill out, thought about it, and, well… maybe we're both just kind of overreacting?" Nick looked down at his feet, drumming them against the carpet floor. "I mean, after dad died, you spent all your time raising me. I don't think I saw you date anyone after I was born. You kind of shut that whole part of your life down, didn't you?" Olivia nodded solemnly. "I guess those urges came back after I grew up."

"But I'm not supposed to feel that way about my own son," Olivia protested.

"Says who?" he asked, looking back up at her.

"Says everyone! Everyone in the world thinks it's wrong, Nick!"

"So? A lot of people in the world think foxes can't be trusted. Does it really matter what they think?"

Olivia's thoughts paused for the moment. She'd never really considered why incest was frowned upon, aside from inbreeding atrocities. It was just something she'd learned growing up was wrong, and taught not to question it. She wasn't looking to conceive a child from Nick; she just wanted to feel the body of her darling boy against hers, the way she'd felt her husband's so long ago.

Nick kept his gaze toward her, the erection in his pants bobbing up and down now and then. "You're my mom. You bent over backwards to give me a good life and raised me as well as you could. Yeah, it's a little weird to think about, but no matter what kind of urges you're feeling, that doesn't erase what a great mom you've been to me." Nick lowered his eyes down to his pants, seeing the tent still poking out from the front. "Besides, saying you're weird for wanting me like that is kind of the pot calling the kettle black at this point."

Surprised as Olivia was, the development of things brought immense relief to her heart. She was glad to hear that her son didn't hold a grudge against her; quite the opposite actually. He seemed keen on making her fantasy become reality.

"Nick, honey, are you sure?" she asked, feeling comfortable enough to use pet names with him once again. "I don't want this to change anything between us. If you don't want to go through with it I won't hold it against you."

"I know. Truth is, things have already kind of changed, now that it's out there on the table. Might as well go all the way, right?"

Olivia nodded slowly, before standing from her seat to meet him at eye level. The idea still seemed odd to her, but looking at the tent still apparent in her son's pants, she couldn't deny what she wanted.

"You still seem so tense about something though, Nick. That's why I'm asking."

"I'm just under a little bit of pressure here. I've picked up a bunch of foxes since I left home, and — oh crap, I shouldn't have told you that," Nick said, seeing his mother's sneer.

"It's fine. I figured you were getting around some when you gained your freedom from home."

"Right. So, I have a one-night stand with a girl, do what I want, even if I make a fool of myself, I'm never gonna see her again. You? God, I don't want to do something that's gonna embarrass me forever."

"Oh sweetheart, come here," Olivia uttered, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him under his shoulders, "You're my everything. My darling little boy who I'm going to love forever and ever," she assured him. As she rubbed her paw against his back, she could feel his shaft rubbing up between her thighs. The contact made her loins tickle once again, but this time she didn't fight it back. She pressed her body up closer against him, rubbing their chests together, their waists connected. "Nothing you do will ever make me stop loving you. Okay?"

Nick looked his mother in the eyes. With a softened gaze, he nodded, before she kissed him on the nose.

"Uh, just one thing really quick," he said to her, "Can you, uh, take charge, for a little while? Just, to help me loosen up a bit?"

A devilish smile curled over Olivia's mouth. She batted her long eyelashes at him, tracing her paws up his arms and toward his face.

"I see," she began in a low sultry tone, holding his chin in her palms, "You want your mommy to take care of you?"

A low moan escaped Nick's mouth. His erection twitched with strength, up toward the vixen who'd spoken to him.

"God, why does that turn me on?" Nick mumbled, his ears slacked down against his head.

"It's okay dear. I'll be nice and gentle with you, I promise. Come on, take my paw," she insisted, slipping his paw into her grasp, "Let's go upstairs, okay?"

Nick nodded hurriedly. With his paw in grasp, Olivia guided him toward and up the stairs, back to her bedroom. Feeling their pads connected, Olivia felt a soothing tenderness rise through her arm. She felt Nick's paw cling to her and take solace in her nurturing grip. Reaching the top of the stairs, she looked back at her son's face. His gaze was focused on her paw, his expression humbled and boyish. Making contact with her hazel eyes made him blush, his open hand moving to cover his face. Olivia beamed at his bashful demeanor, giving the paw in her grasp a reassuring squeeze.

Stepping into the doors, she brushed the green shirt and khaki pants he'd changed out of off from the top of the bed and onto the floor. With space cleared, Olivia sat on the end of the bed and patted the spot next to her as she looked up at her son. Nick sat next to her, still carrying a mountain of tension on his shoulders.

"Nick, if you feel uncomfortable at all while we're doing this, you can tell me to stop," she assured him firmly, "It doesn't matter how far we've gone or what we're doing. I won't hold anything against you if it doesn't feel right."

Nick nodded again. "Okay. Thanks, Mom." Olivia reached a paw and placed it over Nick's. She ran the pad over his fur, sliding it up his arm until it reached his face. Her digits began scratching behind his ears. Nick's apprehension lessened a bit as he tilted into her embrace. He closed his eyes, and a warm smile spread over his lips.

"You're my sweet boy," Olivia whispered into his ear before kissing him tenderly on the cheek. It drew a soft giggle from Nick as her lips moved away and back against his cheek, drawing to the corner of his mouth. His smile warmed Olivia's heart. It was so soothing to feel Nick's fur against her paws once again. She'd cherished him so much as a cub, always holding him in her arms and brushing his soft little head. Though he had grown so much since then, drawing her paws over his ears brought out some of his boyish tendencies that he'd lost touch with for so long. A joyful smile showed how much pleasure he derived from her touch, despite the bit of tension remaining in him. She didn't blame him; she felt nervous too. It was quite nerve-wracking to explore such uncharted territory after all.

Olivia's mouth found its way back to her son's, kissing him the way he'd kissed her earlier. They exchanged a few quick pecks, easing into one another. A few embraces passed before Olivia poked her tongue forward, urging Nick's to let it in. She felt an opening, as well as his own tongue slither up against hers. She felt lightheaded for a moment; she couldn't believe that she was open-mouth kissing her own son, and that it felt so soothing as well. Nick's tongue moved up against hers slowly, feeling it out and testing the waters so to speak. Olivia decided to take the lead, poking her tongue under and over his, guiding the intricate tango within their mouths. With their lips locked together, she ran her paw down his cheek, stroking his soft, red fur.

Nick's paws remained at his mother's hips, stroking her gently, but hesitant to move anywhere else. Olivia understood his reluctance; he didn't want to overstep his boundaries too soon and startle her. She could tell him so a dozen times, and he'd still feel just as apprehensive. That was fine. She would enjoy helping her darling boy in any way possible.

Olivia leaned to the side, guiding him to lay down on the bed before rolling over and laying on top of him. His own legs hung off the end of the mattress, his feet planted to the floor. Olivia's however remained sprawled on either side of his hips. She pressed her chest up against him but kept her lust in check as not to overwhelm him. She continued to stroke his cheek gingerly while coaxing his tongue to stay moving against hers and keep the dance alive within their mouths.

Nick had taken many foxes to bed in the past, a number of whose names he'd forgotten. They were all pure acts of physical lust, each of them tearing into each other like ravenous beasts like a fight for dominance, a race to satisfy their urges as quick as possible. His mother was strikingly different from them. She took her time to kiss and caress him, nurturing his body at a soothing pace. He felt like a young kit under his mother's embrace again, with the exception of the raging hard on she'd given him.

Olivia pulled back her mouth, a thin strand of saliva breaking between them. Their tongues hung out, both of them panting as they looked on at one another.

"How's it feel, dear?" Olivia asked.

"Good," he replied with a smile, "Kind of embarrassed to admit it, but it feels really good! You're a good kisser, M-mom."

Olivia giggled, and lapped her tongue against the front of Nick's nose affectionately.

"I'm gonna get undressed, honey," Olivia whispered to him.

"Okay," Nick squeaked nervously.

Olivia pulled herself back from the bed and stood up straight in front of him. She'd never considered herself much of a performer. She held no experience in stripteases or any theatrics to enhance her undressing; but she knew to pace herself, draw out the spectacle, and let the excitement between both of them grow. Grabbing the sleeves of her blue sweater, she watched her son look on at her from the bed, his chest rising and falling as he anticipated what awaited him. Though she remained in charge of the situation, she still felt a bit of reservation nagging at her, knowing she was about to strip naked for her son.

With another mental push, she slipped her arms through the holes and moved them underneath her sweater. She pushed the garment off over her head and let it fall to the floor. Standing before Nick in her white bra, she moved a paw back to the metals clasps behind her. She felt them unhook, and a bit of tension was released from her breasts. She kept her paws steady, keeping one across her chest, while the other let go of the cloth and let it fall away. Nick's eyes remained wide open, seeing his mother standing topless before him, just her paws covering up her nipples. It took her a moment, but then she moved them about and revealed the pink tips of her bust, the nubs barely visible from a surrounding layer of white fur. Nick's teeth clenched to his bottom lip. Seeing his mother half-naked in front of him rose the tension in his body.

"Sweetheart, you've got to settle down," Olivia urged him, stepping forward and placing a paw on Nick's shoulder, "You're going to make yourself hyperventilate."

"Y-yeah," Nick murmured, forcing himself to space out his breaths of air.

"There you go," Olivia encouraged him, caressing his shoulder, "In… and out. In… and out." As she coached his breathing, she moved her paw down his arm and grabbed his wrist. She lifted it up, guided it toward her chest, and placed it on her left nipple. Nick's breathing locked up at the initial touch of her bare chest.

Vixens weren't known for their bust. Like most predators, they had sleek and agile bodies reminiscent of their ancestors' build to help them catch their prey. A typical A-cup, Mrs. Wilde's chest stood out only an inch more than Nick's. The major difference was the bounty of white fluff coating her chest, soft and plush like a collection of feathers. His paw against her breast sent a surge of arousal through her body. Her nipples stood upright and rigid, the tips of them poking out even more so from their furry envelopment. Stroking the velvety surface of her fur and the flesh of her nipple, Nick's breathing evened back out and returned to a controlled pace.

"There you go, dear," Olivia coaxed him softly, "Not so scary, right?" Nick looked up at her with a miffed grin. His mother reached a paw up to his nose and scratched his fur in a teasing fashion, making his face scrunch up from her touch.

Olivia turned her back to Nick, taking a step forward and raising her paws to her waist. She unzipped the back of her skirt and pushed the black cloth down, leaving her standing in her panties: the final piece keeping the last of her modesty from her son who watched on from behind. Olivia had come this far; she wasn't going to chicken out now. With her grip behind the waistline, she pulled them down to her knees, then moved her legs to let them fall to her ankles.

That was it. Olivia was standing stark naked in front of her own son with only her bushy tail blocking off her privates from his view. She looked over her shoulder at Nick and smiled when she saw his face. Though still a bit tense, he seemed more excited as his sight locked onto her hindquarters.

Just like her bust, she had a lean posterior, outlining some of the tendons within her angular haunches. She was not however spared of the few extra pounds that came with motherhood and age. That extra weight had nestled itself in the areas on either side of her tail, adding just a hint of roundness on her glutes. She wasn't self-conscious about it at all; she didn't mind having a hide with a bit of thickness. Taking a step back, Olivia leaned forward and stuck her posterior outward toward her son. With her paws resting on her bent knees and her bottom poised upward, her tail swished from side to side, brushing against his chest.

Nick's paw crept to life, his digits dancing through the fur of his mother's tail as it wafted against him. His arm glided upwards, tracing her tail until he reached her dock. Curling around it, he lifted it upward causing her to gasp as he revealed what was hidden underneath. Below the soft gray crater right under her tail, Nick could see the pink of her pussy lips spread open and glistening from her wetness.

"Geez, Mom," Nick muttered, his grasp moving along her backside, squeezing her right glute, "How are you this hot?"

Olivia giggled, swaying her posterior from side to side She turned around, leaning forward again with her muzzle just a few inches from his.

"Not bad for an old crow, hm?"

"I keep telling you Mom, you don't look old," Nick assured her, "I can't believe you've stayed single all this time."

"Well, aren't you the sweetest?" Olivia replied, moving her claw down his chest. Panting at her touch, Nick's hips thrusted up in reaction, his bulge twitching with a bit more force than before. "I think we'd better get these pants off you though," she advised before crouching to her knees, "If you get cum on your father's suit, Nicholas, I'm going to be very cross with you." Olivia's brow lowered, staring straight into her sons eyes. The corners of her mouth were lowered in an intimidating grimace, not an ounce of humor within her gaze.

"...Yes ma'am.." Nick replied, the erection in his pants dropping just the tiniest bit under her glare. In an instant, Olivia's face softened to an uplifting smile. Her paws slid up Nick's thighs and across his waistline, unbuckling the belt strap and unbuttoning his fly. The zipper mounted the hurdle of Nick's erection, and he sat upright, leaning on his paws. His mother pulled down his pants, as well as his boxers littered with a pattern of red and blue paw prints. Sliding his pants off his feet, Olivia felt her heart skip a beat when she took a full look at his erection.

It felt quite strange, looking at her own son's genitals in such a way. A web of dark veins coated the red flesh of his pulsing shaft. The slanted tip flared with each throb, struggling to hold back its excitement. Even the girth of his knot had already breached its sheath from his pent up arousal. Just as long as his own paws, Nick's rod stood proudly over her his testicles, the two stones of white fuzz resting on the bed between his thighs.

Olivia's thoughts flashed back to the nights spent with James for a moment. Too much time had passed to remember perfectly; perhaps her mind recreated the past as she wanted to see it. She swore however that her son's shaft and balls matched those of his father's. The sight filled her with a familiar hunger she'd not felt in decades. Looking upwards, Nick's hesitant face looked down at her and brought her back to the present. The longing within her magnified, knowing she was seconds away from sampling the hidden bits of her dear son's body.

With a hesitant paw, Olivia reached up and touched her son's shaft. With a gasp from Nick, his rod flared and nuzzled against her paw. First contact had been made; the last barrier of constraint between them scaled. With a bold smirk on her face, the vixen moved her digits around his girth. Her grip moved down his length, stopping just above his knot, before sliding back up and groping under the tip.

"My my," Olivia muttered as she stroked him up and down repeatedly, "You've grown quite a bit, haven't you?"

"Hnnng!" Nick whimpered, his thighs flexing as his hips rose up just a bit, "Oh God, Mom — I wanna cum so bad."

"Already?" Olivia asked, sounding a bit surprised. With her paw still on his shaft, she shrugged her shoulders with a placid smirk. "I suppose it can't be helped. It's quite a lot of excitement for mama's little boy, huh?" Nick only responded with another feeble whine. "You wanna cum in mommy's mouth?" He nodded in a hurry, and Olivia giggled with delight. Tilting her head back down, she looked at the tip pointing right at her.

 _Let's see if I can remember how to do this._ She thought. Lowering her head just a bit, she stuck her tongue out and lapped at the tip. Nick's mouth remained open, panting with lust as her tongue lapped further and further down, coating his shaft with her saliva. Olivia opened her mouth at the top and slid her lips down his length.

"Ho — ohh!" Nick moaned as he felt her mouth encompass him. His right leg slowly moved from side to side, his lower body squirming just a bit from her ministrations. Olivia's muzzle accommodated her son's shaft, providing a delightful warmth that surrounded its flesh. Her lips were far enough down that they almost touched his swollen knot. Her tongue bobbed up now and then caressing the underside of the rod in her mouth. Each time her lips slid down his length, a gratifying ripple coursed through his body. His soft flesh quivered under the comforting tickle his mother's mouth provided. As her muzzle moved up and down his length, Olivia's paws descended under his balls, caressing the furry orbs resting on her pads.

Nick watched the aged vixen, the woman who'd birthed and raised him in this very house, tend to his twitching erection. With her eyes closed, he could see the dark purple of her eyeshadow and the bit of whiteness at the center of her face. Her hindquarters remained parked on her feet crouched in front of him, her tail swishing across the floor behind her. As if in a trance, she remained focused on the object in her mouth, keeping it snug and coaxing every little nerve along his flesh.

"Ha-ah-ahhh!" Nick exclaimed, as a spasm rocked through his groin. He couldn't hold himself back anymore. The sight of his mother consuming his dick with such prowess became too much too handle. With his paws gripping the bedsheets, Nick flexed his erection up while keeping his hips from thrusting. "Nnnf!"

His length twitched furiously inside her mouth, but Olivia kept her head steady all the while. With his final gasp, Nick's rod shot a heavy strand of semen into her mouth. The sticky substance coated the back of her throat, as well as the surface of her tongue. She swallowed each ejection quickly, not wanting to let a large volume build up for her. Letting out an exasperated heave, Nick laid back against the bed. A series of subtle whimpers escaped his throat, his body trembling with the sensation of his release coursing through him.

Olivia eased her lips off of his member. A string of wet cum began to drip off the tip, and Olivia reached a paw up to catch it on her digit. Her tongue lapped up the substance on her paw before crawling up the mattress and sidling up to Nick. Laying on her left side, her right arm draped across her hip while her left paw held up her chin as she looked at her panting son.

"S-sorry… Mom," Nick muttered.

Olivia tilted her head to the side. "What for?" she asked.

"Just hoped I would last longer than that."

"Oh honey, don't worry about it," she assured him, reaching down to unbutton his shirt, "I already told you, you don't have to impress me." Olivia's paws worked up the middle of his shirt, exposing more of his belly and chest. "All I care about is spending time with you and seeing you happier than I've seen in years."

With the final button undone, Nick sat up and let his mother slip his arms out of the sleeves. Her gaze poured over the cream fur along the front of his body, stopping just above his sticky shaft. Her paw traced over Nick's slender chest, causing his pecs to rise, accompanied by a delighted grumble. Her claw ran down the center of his body, gliding around his belly. Nick closed his eyes, and his body continued to squirm under his mother's touch. Olivia leaned her head down, her lips just a hair's breadth away from Nick's ear.

"Mm, my sweet little boy," she whispered before kissing his ear. Nick's voice sang out with a delighted whimper, feeling his mother's lips trail down his fur. Her mouth found its way down his chest, and began kissing his stomach. He writhed underneath her, and she felt his hips flex in response to her touch. Peering to the side, she saw the sticky mass between his legs twitching once more.

"Ready to go again, dear?" Olivia asked, running her paw underneath his furry balls.

"Almost," Nick replied, moving his paw down his chest and holding hers, "Just need a few minutes."

Sitting up, Nick reached another paw to his mother's chin and guided it towards his own. He pressed his muzzle against hers, their lips pecking one another with tenderness. As their mouths opened up to allow their tongues passage, Nick surprised her by pushing his body forward and rolling Olivia onto her back. Her heartbeat quickened at his sudden boldness. Nick kept his paws straddled at the sides of her chest, his head craned over her as their lips remained locked. Olivia held her paws back, her own hips pushing upwards as every inch of her crevasse tingled with excitement.

Nick inched his paw down Olivia's body and snuck its way in between her legs. His digits traced up the center of her opening, brushing along the nub of her clitoris. Olivia hummed in Nick's mouth, her crease flexing open a bit more in response.

After a moment, the feeling became so strong that she lost focus on her mouth. Her jaw hung low as she moaned, her breath heavy and passionate. Nick pulled his head back, looking down at her with a satisfied grin. All his reservation from before had melted away after she coaxed his ejaculation out of him and into her mouth. Now more than comfortable seeing his mother in such a lustful state, he felt a sense of pride that he could elicit such a gratified reaction from her. Keeping his paw in place, he leaned down to her side, moving his chest up behind her back. With his new position, Nick had a much better angle to rub his mother's snatch. He curled his digits inward, pushing into the wet opening between her thighs. Her hips responded with successive flexes and a squeal escaped her throat.

Hearing his mother's lustful melody sent a rush down Nick's groin. Still a bit sticky from his previous discharge, it stood strong as ever, ready for more affection. Nick ignored his stiffening length and continued plunging his digits in his mother's caverns. He pulled back a bit, moving his touch upwards and feeling around above her opening. His touch found the nub of her clitoris standing upright like a like a pink and fleshy pearl.

"Aaah!" Olivia gasped as he pushed against her clitoris. Wet from her arousal, Nick's touch moved up and down the button then in rhythmic circles. His touch remained slow and strategic, giving her body enough time to savor the bliss of her arousal coming up and down like the ocean's waves. Just like James, Nick had quite the attentive paw. It remained focused and precise, all of its efforts dedicated to touching the right spots at the right time. For a fox who'd grown up without his father, Nick took after him surprisingly well.

Olivia could have let him finish her off with his paw. Nick was a natural at his craft, the way he pressed against her so firm, yet gentle. She wanted him to take it a step further though. Olivia desired for them to leave nothing restrained, nothing left to the imagination. Reeling from his talented paw, Olivia let out a meek whimper.

"Oh God, honey," Olivia moaned, her back pushing up against Nick, "I want you inside me!"

"Really?" Nick asked, his paw ceasing its movements. The sudden halt left Olivia's body tense, wondering why the blissful sensation had stopped. "I didn't exactly bring condoms, you know?"

"It's fine, Nick, I'm on the pill," Olivia said with a touch of impatience in her voice.

Nick's eyebrows rose in confusion. "Why are YOU on the pill?" he asked in a pressing tone, "Are you sleeping with somebody?"

Olivia rolled her eyes and turned to face her son. "They're for my cramps. I've been taking them since after you were born."

"Oh," Nick said, his voice shrinking in defeat, "Kind of wish I didn't hear that."

"Well, you shouldn't have asked. Not like it's your business anyway."

"Yeah, I know. My bad."

Upon seeing her son's guilty expression, Olivia's annoyance faded, and a mischievous grin formed on her face. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" she asked, running her paw against his bare chest, "You want your mommy all for yourself?"

With his teeth pressing down on his lip, his erection stood rigid as ever, pointing up at Olivia's stomach.

"Yeah," Nick said, his voice filled with more bravado than she'd heard in the past several minutes, "I do." Lifting a paw to her face, Nick leaned his muzzle toward hers.

Their lips met once again, their eyes closing as they gave into another passionate embrace. Continuing downward, Nick wrapped his mouth around her neck, his teeth pushing down on the flesh beneath her fur. Olivia gasped as she felt the sharp embrace on her body. Her son kept his mouth in check, restraining enough to keep from piercing her, but pressing with enough force to make her heart race. Her vaginal lips pulsed open in reaction. She needed to feel her darling boy inside her this instant.

Raising her hips up, she felt the tip of Nick's erection slide past her belly, and touch her soaking lips. Letting go of her restraint, she bore down, and the rigid shaft pushed through her lips. The enticing rush of his girth spreading her caverns made Olivia whimper with pleasure. She bore down on the slender and rigid flesh, until her lips rest on top of his wide knot. Rather than push all the way down, Olivia lifted herself up again, her soaking cleft pulling up at his rod.

Olivia's mouth hung open as she moaned, riding up and down on her son's shaft. Each rise and fall filled her with bliss as his girth plunged her caverns, the wet smack of sopping flesh and fur filling the air around them. Nick's gaze remained forward, his eyes fixed on her face. Olivia's cheeks began to burn, knowing her son was watching her react to his body in such a way. His paws slipped down her waist and cradled her buttocks to support her body bobbing against his lap, and her voice rose another pitch.

A harmony of pleasurable moans rolled from Olivia's throat. She'd not felt a comparable bliss in many years. For all of Nick's life, she'd felt the need to maintain an image of purity to stay true to her duty as his mother. Now, she no longer felt those reservations weighing on her conscience. Nick accepted his mother's sensual desires, and embraced them wholeheartedly. The sentimental gesture warmed her heart and added to the fire of her arousal, pushing its' heat to a remarkable height.

Nick's mouth remained open, panting as he flexed his hips upward. Every inch of his mother's cavern was soaked, coating his penis in a layer of lubrication, making it easier for it to slip back and forth within her. Just as Olivia had been a haven for Nick as a kit, her pussy now provided a warm and comforting shelter from the world for Nick's shaft. Her inner walls tugged at his rigid flesh, groping and pulling each time she bore down on him to ensure it plunged as deep as it could.

Olivia could feel the width of her son's knot pressing against the surface, taunting her, daring her to take it in. Each time she pushed herself down, she could feel it pushing up against her. As open and soaked as her lips were, they held off on taking it until the end of their endeavor. Nick kept his head against Olivia's shoulder, grunting as he thrust up into her. His paws moved up and down her back, dragging the tip of a claw down the center. Olivia's paws kept a tight grip on Nick, the swelling in her loins increasing at a steady rate.

"You gonna cum for me?" Nick whispered jeeringly.

"God, yes!" Olivia muttered between breaths, "Sweetheart, I'm so close."

Nick chuckled in a condescending tone, increasing the pace of his thrusts.

"Good girl. That's my sweet Olive..."

Olivia's eyes opened wide at the utterance of that name. The swelling feeling in her body spiked beyond her control. Her lips opened even more, and Nick pushed his hips upward. In an instant, his massive knot slipped into her, filling her inner caverns to their capacity.

"Haaaah!" Olivia moaned, tilting her face up toward the ceiling. Following a brief sting, her vagina adjusted accordingly and clenched around the new width inside nerves of her body stood on end. She continued to whimper as she bounced up and down on her son's lap, not daring to move far enough to let his knot go. Her behind smacked against Nick's thighs, his arms wrapped around her back to keep her steady. Even though her movements were short, the girth and the warmth inside her was more than satisfying. She could feel the shaft flexing upwards, rubbing against the most vulnerable spot inside of her.

Olivia was going to cum any moment now. Her teeth and the rest of her body clenched in preparation for the impending release.

"Ah-ah-ah-ahhhh!" Olivia bore down on her son's lap. Nick flexed his shaft up, pushing it against the spot inside her. It took some effort on his part, but Nick rushed his climax forward. With a powerful grunt, he released a spurt of semen into his mother's chasm, his shaft flaring along with its release. "Oh, God yes!"

Olivia's body shuddered, and her inner walls squeezed the protruder tight. A stream of fluids washed over his shaft, mixing with the white discharge inside of her. A rush of endorphins spread through Olivia's chest and through her limbs, bathing her in a liberating bliss.

Feeling her body weaken, Olivia fell back and pulled Nick with her, the two of them bouncing against the bed. The two foxes laid in one another's embrace, panting for breath. His arm remained wrapped under her shoulder, holding her close to him. With her ear against Nick's chest, she could feel his heartbeat pounding just as her own did. Feeling her dear boy so close to her brought a smile to Olivia's face and filled her with an abundance of sentimental warmth.

After a moment of regaining their breath, Nick moved his body downward so his head was level with his mother's. He began to lick underneath her chin slowly, in a trance-like fashion. It was an instinctual sign of respect towards parents from canines, something he hadn't done since infancy. Olivia smiled as she basked in his affection, rubbing her paw against his chest in return.

Something stuck out in Olivia's mind, despite how much she enjoyed their endeavor. Something that defied perceivable logic, an enigma of sorts that had made itself present in the heat of the moment. She wondered if it was for the best to leave the stone unturned, but her curiosity won out. She had to ask, just to make sure.

"Nick, honey?" Olivia asked. Nick ceased his licking and stared up at her. "Why did you call me Olive?"

Nick's eyes tilted up in thought. "I don't know," he replied, "Name sort of just popped in my head. Why, did it sound too weird?"

An affectionate smile appeared on Olivia's face as she stared at her son's confused face. Her heart filled with the same warmth she'd felt so many years ago, when the one who'd called her by that pet name had lapped his tongue between her legs. Knowing she had a son just as attentive brought a touch of wetness to her eyes.

"No, honey," she replied, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and pulling him in for a hug, "I think it's very sweet. Just like you."

With a warm grin, Nick rubbed his face against her chest. Olivia's paw ran down the back of his head, cradling him against her bosom. The evening had unfolded quite differently than either of them had expected.

It was true that Olivia would carry the pain of losing her husband her whole life. James was too precious to ever completely let go of. Just as it had done decades ago in the hospital bed, snuggling her son helped ease her heartache. She'd wondered when she gave birth to Nick if she was strong enough to raise a child by herself, if she could shoulder the responsibility without James's aid. Though she wasn't perfect, Nick had proven with his heroism and his compassion that she'd done a fine job raising him. Planting a kiss atop his head, she continued to rub her darling boy's ears as he dozed off for the moment. Mother and son had been reunited after so long, and from that day forward, nothing would challenge their bond again.


End file.
